Bosphorus

by V L.

Being from CA but visiting a good friend in FL, we decided to check out Winter Park and eat at Borphorus, which was written up in a recent Southern Living magazine. I've been to a few good Turkish places in the Bay Area and also visited Turkey a couple years back. We shared a small house salad which was pretty big for under $10 and I felt like a rabbit after chewing for so long. The dressing was pretty simple with olive oil and lemon juice as the base.  The big cubes of feta cheese were good too. The salad was made up of romaine lettuce, none of that iceberg crap.I then got the lamb kabob wrap which was alright, the lamb cubes were a little too big so I would get a huge chunk of lamb with a little bit of bread and veggie. It also came with a salad which I wished the server would have told us about cause I never touched the salad that came with the wrap after chewing the house salad forever.The best part of this meal was the dessert called kunefe. I had the best kunefe there and spent many weeks back in the Bay Area trying to find a place that made it just the same, which I did. So I know my kunefe. The one here was pretty good and authentic. My only issue with it is connected to why this place is only getting 3 stars. It wasn't very hot and the syrup may have been cooked with the soft cheese and noodle concoction, causing the noodles to be a bit mooshy. I wished it was hotter, but it wasn't cause I think our server forgot it in the kitchen and brought it out hella late. He probably didn't think we would know better but I did.The main reason this place is getting 3 stars isn't for the food cause the food was decent. It's for the service. You would think on such a busy area like Winter Park where they are located, you would up your service up many more notches, even if it were for lunch and your restaurant decor is so elegant, modern, and sleek, but no.From when we walked in and the lady wanted to sit us in the front where the door keeps getting opened and closed, lots of foot traffic there, right next to the umbrella stand and I had to ask to be sat deeper inside the place where the normal other diners were eating (it was like we weren't good enough to sit in the nice area in the back), to when we wanted to order dessert and couldn't find our waiter so we had to ask some other waiter to take our order. to the fact that they never wiped down our glass top table with all the water marks and salad bits on it before we ate our warm dessert, the service wasn't good.

by Zannëta P.

The Good: [1] The location. I had no idea Winter Park was so beautiful until I drove up Park Ave to find this place. When I got out, I did some browsing in nearby stores. The Bad: [1] Their prices are a bit high. I remember looking at the menu and the Hookah prices and saying, damn. I have to pick one. I cannot afford to eat and smoke simeltaneously at this place.The Ugly: [1] The service was atrocious. When we asked to be seated for three for a Hookah, they promptly seated us outside at a table that was small for even two people. [2] The guy told us he was going to give us a Hookah just this time, but for future reference, Hookah service stopped at 7pm. I looked at my watch and it was 6pm. Was I being slapped on the wrist for coming an hour before Hookah time was over? And where were the signs that informed new customers of this rule? [3] The customers were mostly Middle Eastern, and kept looking at us like we were invading their space and didn't belong. Sorry dude. I'm black. Get over it. [4] The Hookah flavors all tasted exactly the same. Pooey.

by Michael C.

I noticed the reviews here are mixed, however I thoroughly enjoyed myself at Bosphorus. Going last year during the Fall, I found the atmosphere superb overlooking Park Avenue with it's downtown streetlamps and cool autumn breeze. While Bosphorus is cetainly more expensive than Burger King, I was able to enjoy a three-course meal, bottle of wine and a hookah for a little under $70, which isn't bad for the neighborhood. The service was good, the waiter did his job, took the order and was very knowledgeable about the hookah. The best part of the experience was the WP cougar women at the table besides us hitting the hookah like it was something a lot more potent. Ha!

by Natasha C.

This restaurant, like every other restaurant in Winter Park, is going to have expensive prices because of its location. Winter Park is a town full of wealthy people who expect to pay more because they think it equates to a higher quality of product. Either way, I would say that the lunch I had there was very good-- lamb kofte kebabs. We had excellent service, the hummus, levas, raki and sour cherry juice were all wonderful, and I enjoyed the quiet lunchtime atmosphere. I might not be as tempted to dine here (or anywhere else in WP) during the evening, as it looked like a place that would be packed from 5pm to whenever they close. Definitely give it a try for lunch.

by clyde m.

my FAVORITE restaurant in Winter Park, hands down.  it is SUPERB!  try the white bean salad and chicken kepab patties.  UNBELIEVABLE!

by Dan B.

This is REAL Turkish food.  I confirmed it on good authority from two people I was dining with who have been to Istanbul many times.  You could also tell from the taste.  If you try the mezzes and aren't astonished, than you don't belong anywhere near Middle Eastern food.  The quality of the food is Turkish at it's finest.  It's definitely worth the price.  First of all, you'll be greeted by some very kind and friendly people.  Everyone on their staff is helpful and courteous.  The food is out of this world good.  The lamb is simply put: the best I've ever had.  A good way to enjoy the meal is to get mezzes, which is like Spanish Tapas but Turkish.  (Actually, the Spanish got the idea of tapas along with many other culture practices from the Turks).  Getting a lavash with your mezze is crucial.  You're looking at hot, delicious, and fresh bread here. The falafels were outstanding.  We also got these little spring roll things with feta inside of them, eggplant salad, and a stuffed lamb sandwich.  On top of that, the table shared a chicken shish and a lamb shish.  The quality of those meats were out of this world good.  Perfectly accompanied with peppers, tomatoes, onions, and spice, the lamb meat was juicy and soft as opposed to what you'd typically expect with lamb: tough and dry.  This is one of the few restaurants I'd have to say in Park Avenue that completely lives up to the presentation.  I'm somewhat of a Middle Eastern food connosieur.  I try to eat food from all different countries in the Middle East, recognize their subtle differences, and really keep an eye out for the authentic ones.  I needed to find a Turkish cuisine that was pretty authentic since the Turks kind of was the starting point for which all Middle Eastern variants came from.  Bosphorous is it.  Also of note is the lounge area, the outdoor seating area, and the fact that you can enjoy a hookah smoke with your meal and/or drink.

by Layla G.

Short, Sweet, and Simple - here goes:Atomphere - MehService - MehAppetizers - GoodDinner - MehDessert - Borderline YukPrice - WHAT !?!??Puhleeze!

by Doron R.

Currently the best middle eastern (Turkish) food that I've found in Orlando.  They have some issues from time to time with consistency.  But it is always pretty good at least.  Some of the servers are not very good either.  But, overall, this is the best we have.  Hummus is only ok though.  Great bread, meats, and eggplant dishes.

by Suzanne S.

I wanted to love. I really really did.2 factors took away from the love: 1) I was on the date from hell. 2) it was damn expensive ... and he paid for it ... which made me feel guilty(er) for not liking him.K ... so I arrived. Prime Park Ave location. Super friendly bartender and staff. Great drinks. My date insisted on ordering like 4 appetizers (ok, dude) ... the hummus and big puffy bread thing were awesome. The friend calamari was eh. And I wasn't a huge fan of the grape leaves (tasted like pickles).I had the chicken sis kabab with yogurt. YUM. Delish, really. But a very big portion and a hefty  $25 price tag to go with. It was good, but on par with what you'd get at any sort of ethnic restaurant in America. I would buy it again for $10. Maybe $15. But $25? Sorry. No dice. Our bill total came to $145. He tipped $50 inexplicably. Not sure what that was all about. All the servers and staff members appear to be Turkish, which is charming but there is sort of a communication barrier. I liked Bosphorus, but it's really expensive for what you get.

by Nobbi L.

We just stopped by Bosphorous again yesterday. The meze were still outstanding, as was the doner. Great service, outside seating. Not counting the fact that we met our long lost friends Fred and Janet after reconnecting on…